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RAM difference in iPad Pro (9.7") 32/128/256GB
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It's not really the RAM that's the problem with the iPad 3, it's the weak A5X chip. Both iPad 4 and Air have 1GB RAM and they're far zippier compared the to the iPad 3.
Most of the time you can't see the difference today, but in 2 years it'll become apparent. 2GB of RAM is enough but is already a min. requirement for multitasking and heavy applications. Software won't get more efficient in future, so 4GB is the only way to be future proof. Certain upcoming games like GOF3 may benefit from >2GB of RAM as early as this summer.
umm ... what a load of FUD. Screen is better in many ways. 40% less reflective and 25% more colour saturation and 25% brighter.
CPU is not 15% faster, more like 70% faster. Not to mention compatibility with new accesories.
Please do not instruct other posters how to post here unless you are a mod. All have a right to their opinion and it is what makes these forums work so well.
Performance difference in the majority of applications is closer to 70% which is substantial l
Yeah, the difference is more like 70% for most cases. In fact, in Apple's comparison page, they state Air 2 is 1.4x faster than Air and ipad Pro is 2.4x faster than the air.
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Or the 9.7 Pro. Like I said most will not even see a difference. It is mostly in your head!
I think you'll find that "all this backlash" is actually a rather small minority of enthusiasts. Most of the millions of people buying iPads don't know or don't care that much about specs like RAM. iOS devices only started to move from 1GB in 2014 despite "backlash" from enthusiasts well before that. Apple decides on their own when spec increases are necessary to allow for the user experience that they feel is ideal. As I said before, I would not hold out for the next device solely on the assumption that it will have more RAM. Others have made that mistake in the past. If specs are what matters most, there are already Android tablets with 8 cores and 4GB of RAM... And most of them don't perform notably better than the Air 2.
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What back lash. I would hardly call some hardcore enthusiasts in an Apple forum as back lash. I think you need to get real. The majority of people out there don't know and couldn't care less about the RAM difference. Those who criticise or complain about it here are just causing scare mongering. The fact that the new 9.7" Pro only has 2GB of RAM is going to be far less of an issue then people make it out to be.
As for adding 4GB of RAM in the next version of the 9.7" Pro I very much doubt it will happen. Apple has to provide some differences between the 9.7" and 12.9" models to make them both worthwhile purchases. The only things the 12.9" model has that it's smaller sibling doesn't is the extra ram and the larger size.
Ahhh, that ignore button works famously.
Yes, all three iPad 'Pro' devices have a measly 2GB 
Get the Air 2 if you're looking for a 9.7' tablet and don't need an Apple Pencil.
Get the Pro 12.9 if you're looking for something bigger.
Get the Air 2 if you're looking for a 9.7' tablet and don't need an Apple Pencil.
Get the Pro 12.9 if you're looking for something bigger.
2GB of RAM simply won't give me enough lifespan I need from an iOS tablet. I don't want to upgrade a device that's more of a luxury than a necessity every 2 years, and I learned it hard way with a 1GB RAM iPad 3 (even though it was a decent amount in 2012 and a very important upgrade over the iPad 2).
As far as styli go, I'm okay with all three aforementioned solutions. They're well beyond in speed and quality from what I need and can perceive.
Sounds to me that the iPad Pro 12.9' will be the one for you, if you're invested in the Apple ecosystem.
It's more powerful than the 9.7' and will last a lot longer with double the RAM.
A larger canvas is also a good thing!
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Not for long! It's almost guaranteed that the next 9.7' iPad will have 4GB.
Pro device with same RAM as 1.5 year old iPad Air 2, and only $100 more!
Agreed. I enjoy my Air1 and it "works" but its lack of memory does show itself at times. And, lets be realistic here: Does anyone think apps and games will use LESS resources as we go along? No way. This time, Im not buying the low-ram device like I did with the Air 1. Im going to either stay with my Air or if prices and deals keep happening with the 12.9" model I could possibly look that way.
there's a theme around here of people simultaneously telling people they don't need this or that spec that apple decided to skimp on, and then chastising them for using "ancient" hardware when they are disappointed with performance or feature limitations in a year or two.
just smile and nod. they can't help themselves.
for what its worth, i DON'T care about specs for their own sake (or i'd never buy apple in the first place!). i care about experience, and for me its only about trying to make decisions that will retain a quality experience for more than a year. as an iPad 3 owner, i'm intimately familiar with apple hardware that is equipped to run its launch OS great, but was not forward thinking enough to handle evolving software.
its tough for me now, because like the iPad 3 with retina display, the 9.7 pro is the only device that mixes the features (pencil) and form factor i want right now, but i know its not a good future proof decision.
I'm disappointed in there being no RAM update, but I guess the 12.9 display needs it more . I still feel like the A9X will offer a big enough performance boost over the Air 2 when using CPU-intensive apps. Looking forward to the additional speakers, pencil support, and the 4K camera may prove to come in handy as a backup from time to time.
That said, I've had no real performance issues with my Air 2, and I agree that it's the better value right now (price wise). The 12.9 is also a better deal, but the size is too much for me. The iPad does not replace my MacBook or desktop, and there will still be lots of times where I'll need to be putting both an iPad and a MacBook in a backpack. Even at home in bed, where I use my iPad a lot, I don't want that big of a screen or the extra weight.
. I still feel like the A9X will offer a big enough performance boost over the Air 2 when using CPU-intensive apps. Looking forward to the additional speakers, pencil support, and the 4K camera may prove to come in handy as a backup from time to time.That said, I've had no real performance issues with my Air 2, and I agree that it's the better value right now (price wise). The 12.9 is also a better deal, but the size is too much for me. The iPad does not replace my MacBook or desktop, and there will still be lots of times where I'll need to be putting both an iPad and a MacBook in a backpack. Even at home in bed, where I use my iPad a lot, I don't want that big of a screen or the extra weight.
Buy the 9.7 pro if you want the new features (better display, speakers, pencil/keyboard support mainly). You cannot notice any difference from 2GB to 4GB. I couldn't tell any difference in speed from my Air 2 to the 12.9 Pro. Just from my evaluation.
Honestly, I reckon the reason for 4GB RAM on the 12.9" iPP isn't to differentiate it from the 9.7" iPP. I expect it's because 4GB RAM is actually needed to support the higher resolution display. That's what, 5.6 million pixels on the 12.9" versus 3.1 million pixels on the 9.7"?
Edit: Corrected pixels for 12.9" from 5.1m to 5.6m.
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I use both iPP with 4GB and one with 2GB and there is defintely a noticable difference when it comes to tabs and app refreshing and the amount of tabs open at one time. The 4GB makes it run super smooth with no constant refresh or speed hiccups when tons of Apps are open at the same time. The 2GB shows some slowdown... but mostly constant app refreshing with just 4-6 tabs open.
Kal.
Plenty of apps will see a difference. For example Procreate only offers 9 layers at 4000x4000 on the 2GB model but a much more manageable 29 layers on the 4GB.
I'm assuming by "15%" you're referring to the multicore benchmark of Geekbench but in real use the single core performance and the NAND speed are really the ones that make a tangible difference, and the new Pro is much faster than the Air 2 in those areas. Then there's the faster GPU which you curiously haven't even mentioned.
As an iPad Air 2 owner, I really wish the Pro was only 15% faster so that I wouldn't feel the temptation but unfortunately it does feel significantly faster and the gap will get bigger as iOS gets updated. :-(
Thanks!
I actually need a proper Stylus/Pensil and I'm currently considering a Surface Pro 4 / Lenovo X1 Tablet instead to complement my old iPad.
I actually need a proper Stylus/Pensil and I'm currently considering a Surface Pro 4 / Lenovo X1 Tablet instead to complement my old iPad.